The Cradle Will Fall
by Austara
Summary: With the fall of Orphan and the crystallization of Cocoon, the great exodus to Gran Pulse had begun. As years pass, normalcy slowly returns to those from Cocoon who seek a new life amongst the familiar and unknown. As the efforts of rebuilding continue, an ancient foe awakens upon the Fal'Cie's death to finish what it started eons ago. Alternative Ending/Universe. Original plotline


**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Final Fantasy elements used in this original story. Square Enix has total ownership over them.**

**Hello everyone. In the future, I will never start chapters with an author's message. I just want to give fair warning to all readers that this is an alternative ending/universe, original story. I will be taking severe liberties with the events occurring within FF XIII. I will do my best to stay in character for the canons used, but in hopes of keeping things fresh, I will be giving canons my personal touch as well!**

**With that, this concludes my little warning statement. Please enjoy and leave a review if you feel so inclined. I do enjoy reading them! I'll keep author's notes quite sparse from here on out. **

**Yours truly,**

**Austara**

* * *

"Even the past haunts the living. May death grant thee respite."

― Notes from an Unknown Traveler

* * *

Lightning sat on the steps of her front porch. It was dawn, and she couldn't sleep. For the past few weeks, she'd lie awake, gazing at her tented home's ceiling reminiscing about the past. How had she and the others gotten so lucky? By all rights, they all should have been dead — Cie'thed. Was that even a term? She didn't know. Several years had passed since that day, and Lightning still couldn't get over it. Orphan was dead; the Fal'Cie were finished. The deaths hadn't stopped there. The great exodus took the lives of many.

It took years for everything to settle. Lightning recalled the colonization effort in vivid detail. Though her friends and she braved the terrains of Gran Pulse with familiar ease, many had not been as fortunate. In the first months, many had succumbed to the wrath of starvation, bandits, and the denizens of Gran Pulse who welcomed the fresh supply of meat — depending on the species of course. It wasn't until much later with the construction of the four main settlements did some normalcy return to the foreigners in this vast, alien place. What complicated matters was them. Though never encountering them during her l'Cie days, tribes native to Gran Pulse still existed. There was conflict initially. Now, though prejudices still rippled through both sides, an uneasy truce was established and the Divide created.

Drawing images in the sand with a stick, Lightning stared into the ocean right off the coast of Bodhum. She chose to take residence here, the pitiful little village compared to the others. It reminded her of home, a nostalgia that needed fulfilling. She joined the newly established Guardian Defense Force. Oh did the PSICOM boys freak when the Guardian Corps merged with them. Even now, they thought they were so much better. How childish. Integration of the branches, to say the least, still needed work.

"Couldn't sleep?" The wood flooring groaned behind Lightning as she looked back. Her lips tugged up in a taut smile. "Heard you walk out. Sunrise's nice. Maybe I should get up earlier."

Lightning scooted over as Hope came to sit by her. "You stay up late." She tugged at her plain white long sleeve, which she wore with a pair of black shorts as pajamas. "How's your dad?"

"Busy," Hope said. "He's director of the Science Branch in New Eden. It wouldn't surprise me if he doesn't come to see me. I'm not angry. I just wish I could see him more — here in Bodhum. Thanks for letting me stay with you. It was pretty short notice."

"He's doing good work," Lightning said. "It's his branch that brought energy back to the larger settlements. Don't go spreading it around, but I heard we'll be getting some light here soon. Read it off a transcript at base. Our little secret, got it?"

"You sure it's okay telling me?"

"Being head of the garrison affords its privileges."

Hope laughed awkwardly. "What woke you up, Light? Want to talk?"

That really downed the mood. Lightning took advantage of the distraction Hope gave her by talking. It wasn't something she wanted to talk about at all. They had earned the right to live. Why would she want to say otherwise? She had Serah back. Everyone else as well. Nothing was wrong. What was her issue?

"You're brooding, Light."

Lightning focused on the waves as they cascaded onto the sand then receded. "Nothing better to do than hear me complain?" she said giving Hope a questioning look. "Do you ever think about when we were l'Cie? So many things happened — related and unrelated to us. I've been wondering if we deserve what we have now. In the beginning, we lost a lot of people. Why? Because we ridded ourselves of the Fal'Cie. With Orphan's death, Cocoon turned into that crystal pillar. Doesn't it sound like we're responsible for all of this?"

Hope leaned back against the next wooden step, thinking about what to say. "The Fal'Cie were just going to kill us off anyways. Remember? Even if we hadn't acted, many would have died." The silver-haired youth, having grown since his time on Cocoon stood up and stretched. "There are things I regret doing, but I don't think it's on us. We fought to survive didn't we? At the very least, we revealed how manipulative the Fal'Cie were. Saviors? They were nothing more than tyrants treating us like pets. We earned the present we fought for Light."

Hope was right. Damn did the kid get smart. Lightning couldn't deny any of what he said, yet the feeling remained unappeased. It tickled at her thoughts and refused to go away. Maybe time was the best remedy. She had to admit. Talking to someone — someone she knew — made her feel better already.

The morning silence slowly faded as voices began to fill the air. "Get changed. We'll catch an early round at the canteen," Lightning said. "I'll see if the others want to tag along."

Hope nodded as he headed back into the house. The kid really did grow up she thought. He also became pretty buddy-buddy with Snow. The bear of a man spent all his days with Serah, which Lightning was surprisingly okay with. The planning of their wedding was already in the works. It was going to be a day she wouldn't miss for the world. Plans of her absence had already been discussed. Rygdea, at present her First Lieutenant, agreed to cover for her. Day in, day out, Lightning slaved over her new found responsibilities. Vacation was okay once in a while, right?

As she stood up and headed to her room, she took another look back. She silently wished for many more tranquil days like this. She hated it in her younger days, but cherished it as she grew older. She laughed. Funny how things could change.

* * *

"How do you want this handled, ma'am?"

It was midday and things were already in disarray. The upcoming Jaeger match between the Bodhum Seekers and Alavin Wolves had slipped Lightning's mind. She thought quickly how to remedy this. Usual protocol she thought to herself. Crews were already out working on keeping the arena in tip top shape. All that was left was security details.

Lightning viewed the reports. The damn things. That was the part she hated most about her job. She belonged on patrols where she could get down and dirty. Paperwork was just never her forte, and she would be the first to agree with that statement. Estimation on the crowd sizes were listed, logistics from the Jaeger Oversight Board were also given. They helped pay for the materials, but Bodhum was expected to provide these supplies — a factor that was thankfully not her problem. It was all Amodar's fault. He asked her to assume command of Bodhum's garrison after she declined to relocate to New Eden. Maybe coming back to the Military was a mistake after all.

"We'll do what we always do," she said. "Dispatch a runner to New Eden and request temporary hands. I don't want to cut boundary duties. We need them for any curious beasts."

Sergeant Ramas, a hot-headed yet capable kid, pursed his lips. "Headquarters should just permanently transfer more personnel to us. A platoon strength. Bodhum's small, but we barely have any breathing room!"

"Which is why we'll dispatch a runner. How were the morning patrols?"

Ramas scratched the back of his neck. "The patrol had a run in with a group of highwaymen. Even with everything's thats going on, we still can't stop killing each other. A private was checked into medical."

Lightning frowned. "They'll need to be eliminated," she said. "Give me the location, and I'll take a team out."

"With all due re—"

"The location Sergeant."

She watched the battle hardened individual give in to her order and took out a map. "Just off the main road. That was the last known location. You can bet your ass they moved though."

Studying the map, Lightning already had a few places in mind and a search radius plotted out in her head. They'd be far enough to stay out of Bodhum's GDF branch way but close enough to keep harassing travelers. That just couldn't continue.

"You're dismissed," she said as she stood up. Ramas mirrored her action. "Send out that runner. We'll need the extra hands."

"What about the rogues?"

"Oh, I think she'll manage." Standing in the doorway was a woman clad in a blue Sari and black tank. Lightning didn't have to look to know who it was. The deep, exotic-like accent told her it was Fang. "Isn't that right, _Captain_ Farron?"

Lightning smiled a bit too much. Out of all of the people she had wanted to see, it was Fang. Though the Pulsian had a sarcastic, and at times, terse tongue, the two just connected. Lightning couldn't explain it. All she knew was that it grew stronger from their time traveling together. Initially, the black-haired beauty was going to rejoin her kinsmen but instead decided to stay behind. She wouldn't tell Lightning why. Not that the captain cared. Lightning was just glad to have her around.

"You have your orders, Sergeant. See to it."

Ramas looked like he had more say. Deciding against it, he snapped a salute and left the room.

Fang watched him go. She tilted her head and smiled wryly. "He looked pretty pissed," she said. "So what's this about big, bad bandits on the trails?"

"Didn't I ask you not to eavesdrop?"

Fang sauntered in as she stood in front of the Garrison Commander. "Oh, you know how terribly curious I am," she said as she smiled mischievously. "It's too beautiful of a day to spend indoors. Lets take a walk on those trails. Who knows? Something _exciting _and _unexpected _may happen. Interested?"

The damn woman. She knew exactly what to say. "Entrance in fifteen then."

"I'll go get my stuff. See ya Sunshine."

"Fang," Lightning said but the Pulsian was already gone. She shook her head in annoyance. "Honestly…"

Checking to make sure her gun blade was secured in its holster, Lightning grabbed a few things and headed for the door. As she descended the stairs and walked out into the bright afternoon, she couldn't help but shake the feeling something far worse was going to happen. She was never superstitious, but she trusted her intuition. A shiver ran through her spine.


End file.
